The technology area of audio signal processing includes voice detection/recognition and speech detection/recognition. Voice detection and recognition connote analysis of respective individual's vocal chord signals. Speech detection/recognition is less focused on individual speaker characteristics and more directed toward the determination of “units” (e.g., words) or spoken terms given the language on which the subject speech signal is based. For example, speech recognition is employed in the indexing and analysis of recorded speech.
Given the foregoing, the term “conversation” may mean speech or speech-like activity prolonged over a (minimum) threshold period of time. A conversation detector thus determines the existence of such prolonged speech activity. Conversation detection is not as focused on individual speaker characteristics as in voice detection/recognition and is not as language dependent as speech detection/recognition.
To date, there are limited conversation detectors. In the telephony area, conversation detectors are used to determine when to stop broadcasting so that the broadcasting of static or silence is minimized and/or prevented. In this setting, speed and accuracy of the conversation detector are of primary concern. Various technologies have been developed toward improving speed and/or accuracy in such conversation detectors.